The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-11-04
WASITA JOKE OR NOT?
Chief Justice Waite Receives
a Curious Present,
LEKgAN INTERNAL MACHINE.
The Washington Police Authorities
Puzzled to Discover the Sender
Other Notes.
Was 1t q Practical Jokes

WASHINGTON, November 3.-An at
tempt was made tonight to either kill
or MAIN Chief Justice Waite, of the
United States Supreme Court, or to per-
petrate a silly hoax. About $50 q
small box was sent to his house through
the special delivery postal service. II
was a pasteboard box, about ten inches
By six. looking something like valen-
tine box and was addressed IN
a small, cramped and appar-
emily disguised backhand, to the
"Hon. Chief Justice Waite, No. l .435
1 Street, n. W., Washington, D. c."
Near the bottom were the words, Sim
portant papers," underscored. The
thing enclosed was glass tube, about
ten inches long and of the diameter OF
a lead pencil. The tube was bent at an
angle of about so degrees, and was fas-
tened to the box by means OF small
piece of heavy paper pasted over 1t. The
tube for most of its length contained
JET black fluid, but about one and half
inches from the end was a percussion
cap separating the hLil from a little
more than an inch of coarse powder,
apparently what is known as Atlas
powder. At the other enc OF the
powder was a percussion cap, aud to
ibis was attached wire, which Was
apparently intended to explode tie
tube. This wire was joined to small
rubber band, fastened to one side OF the
box and another wire from the rubber
to a hook and eye," which was held
in place by piece of paper pasted over
it. If the machine is really what it
seems to be, the raising of the
lid would have exploded it before
it reached the Chief Justices house.
However, the box was stamped on one
side by the postofice employee and the
force with which the blow was struck
in stamping caused the wire to slip
through the hook and eye," thus
severing the necessary connection.
There are circumstances which lead to
the suspicion that the whole thing is
a hoax. The person through whom
the matter was brought to the atten-
ton of the police is young man, who
sells items to newspaper correspondents
and who is not, by many, regarded as
trustworthy. His name is withheld at
the request of the police, to whom he
told substantially the following story;
About o'clock, he went to the post
Office to mail letter, and going to one
of the desks to address IT, he
Chief Justice Waite on box. He says
he thought nothing of it at the time,
and, therefore, did not observe the man
closely enough to be able to identity
him. When on the street. however,
the thought came to him that there was
something suspicious about 1t, mas
much as the Chief Justice, on Wednes-
day, delivered the opinion denying the
writ of error to the condemned Chicago
Anarchists. He, thereupon, went to
the home of the Chief Justice, and in
Quired of him if he bad received box.
The Chief Justice said he had not, and
the young man then went to the post
office and ascertained that the
box had been delivered at 30
O'Clock. He next informed the
correspondents OF two western pa
pers of the matter and offered to sell
them the story about it. The CORE
spondents desired to make further in
vestigation, and went to the police sta
ton and told the story to Detective
ately called on the Chief Justice, who
then acknowledged receiving box and
gave it 10 the sergeant. The Chief JUS
tice said he had received the box while
at dinner and had opened it, but
without being harmed, the wire
which was to have exploded having
been detached, as already stated.
Mr.. Waite did not attach any import
ance to the box, and said he thought it
a sensational hoax. The sergeant took
the box to the police headquarters,
where it is now held as evidence. Ser
geant Hollanberger said he had no clue
to the sender of the box, and that the
young man was unable to give any de
scription of the man whom he had seen
addressing it before mailing it.